Come join in a series of Contemplative Sharing and Dialogue workshops as
“Contemplative Living with Thomas Merton’s New Seeds of Contemplation” returns to the Spiritual Life Center in spring of 2017.

New Seeds of Contemplation is one of Thomas Merton's most widely read and best-loved Spiritual books. Christians and non-Christians alike have joined in praising it as a notable successor in the ancient Contemplative tradition of St. John of the Cross, The Cloud of Unknowing, and the medieval mystics.
For Merton, "Every moment and every event in every man's life on earth plants something in his soul. For just as the wind carries thousands of winged seeds, so each moment brings with it germs of spiritual vitality that come to rest imperceptibly in the minds and wills of men. "

During our 3-month Contemplative journey we’ll explore Thomas Merton’s insights on Contemplative Living. New Seeds of Contemplation is structured as a series of independent chapters, so each session can be attended independently of the others. In each session we’ll explore themes and writings from Thomas Merton’s New Seeds of Contemplation and consider questions designed to engage us in the process of self-exploration and personal sharing. Participants seek to incorporate insights gained each evening into their lives during the intermediate period between sessions and we’ll have time to share them at the start of each session.

The workshops will be led by Mike Smoolca. ​Mike Smoolca is coordinator of the Northern CT Chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society. He has been presenting Thomas Merton programs and facilitating workshops over the past 5 years. Mike has been reading Thomas Merton for over 10 years and applying insights he’s obtained to his own spiritual journey.

Mike is a Spiritual Director and Partner for the Spiritual Life Center 2016 – 2018 Internship Class. He active in several ministries in his parish, St Mary’s in Simsbury, CT. Mike is a Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer, Chapter Coordinator for Contemplative Outreach of CT, an experienced contemplative group and workshop facilitator and dedicated student of Contemplative practices. A few years ago Mike retired from a nearly 30 year career in Business and Technology to focus on deepening his relationships, spirituality, teaching and service to others. You can visit Mike’s website at:
http://www.invialumen.org/